


Accidental Hero

by lintwhite



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-09
Updated: 2012-08-09
Packaged: 2017-11-11 18:12:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/481397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lintwhite/pseuds/lintwhite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wrote this ages ago as part of long-forgotten fic challenge.  Oomaeda Marenoshin, father of the current vice captain of the second division, has his life saved by Byakuya's father at a fancy restaurant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Accidental Hero

Chez Vie Après la Mort. A bit of a mouthful but nonetheless the swankiest place this side of the river Styx. Ferns tangled their way down wrought iron railings and thin violin music floated on the air amongst the soft tinkle of cutlery against fine china. The lighting was low and the waitstaff doting. This was the pinnacle of class.

Oomaeda Marenoshin poked his fork at a sliver of duck. The food was almost inedible, as there wasn't much _to_ eat in the first place - most of it was garnish and artfully arranged sauce. Appearances, that was what it all came down to - appearances and status. Chez Mort, as the local peons called it, had a waiting list of inordinate length. Only influence could buy you a bottle of wine and a few morsels that wouldn't even satisfy a mouse.

He came for lunch at least twice a week.

\---

For Kuchiki Soujun, the establishment wasn't exactly his cup of tea. He found the decorations gaudy and he disliked the simpering nature of the waitstaff. All because he belonged to nobility; that was, after all, how a table had suddenly opened up. He sighed as he watched his young son greedily devour a dessert that Soujun should probably not have ordered him. He enjoyed his rare outings he could take Byakuya when his schedule permitted it - even something as simple as an evening stroll. Next time, God only knew when, he'd take Byakuya to somewhere more kid friendly - there was a nice family restaurant not far from here and he was sure they served dishes that Byakuya wouldn't pull faces at.

\---

Our villain hated the smell of food cooking. Detested it, in fact and he reckoned he was one of only a few individuals in this world who did. He even hated the sounds - sizzling, hissing, popping, splashing. Disgusting. It was strange that a man with such a strong distate for all things culinary would find himself working in the restaurant business but he had a _reason_. A very good one. Revenge. And that was one dish he didn't mind serving.

He caught his faint reflection in stainless steel. How he had changed in these past few months. One long jagged scar ran the length of his face and a thick mustache underlined his nose. He wasn't quite sure how much of a disguise this afforded him but knowing his adversary, he wouldn't recognize him. He never even remembered his name to begin with.

He clenched his fist in sudden, burning anger. What a pompous bastard, that Oomaeda. Always more concerned about saving his own hide, flaunting his money at every given chance - that was how he even gotten into his position in the first place, by buying his goddamn way in!  
But that wasn't even the exact reason he harbored so much pent-up rage towards the man: he had, in his opinion, committed the most heinous of crimes: he abandoned his fellow Shinigami. He left him as food for the Hollows, all to cover for his lack of competence. Months he had languished between life and death (even though he was, technically, already dead), depending on the kindess of strangers. In the end, he had cast aside his former identity, been reborn as a new man, with a singular mission: Oomaeda Marenoshin's death by his hands, at any cost.

\---

Marenoshin had finished his lunch without much interest and was standing by the entrance, licking off what little bit of food he had managed to get on fingers, when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Vice Captain Oomaeda, is that you?"

Marenoshin internally groaned as he turned to greet the young man approaching him. Had it been any other lowly peasant, he would have ignored their existence and been furious that they even dared breathe the air that was should have been reserved for more deserving individuals, but this man was of nobility. And a fellow vice captain to boot.

"Hey, there, Soujun. Didn't know ya came here." He used pinkie to dig a bit of wax from his ear. Maybe he'd get the message.

But no, old Soujun was all smiles, as he tugged that little brat of a son behind him. Soujun was always to be buddy-buddy with him - they were both _working dads_ , as he'd put it, trying to find some common ground between the two. But then again, Soujun was like that with everyone - that's why Marenoshin didn't care for him; he didn't discriminate enough.

"Oh, yes, first time here," smiled Soujun. "Quite nice place, though I'm not sure quite sure how much Byakuya enjoyed it." He laughed softly. _Yeah, yeah, kids are brats without any class, I get your angle,_ though Marenoshin.

"Yeah, well, I gotta get going, gotta lot of paperwork on my desk. Nice seeing you and all." He was about to turn and go when Soujun said, "Oh, yes. I hardly had any time to get away, you know. I try and do a little here and there with Byakuya - I'm sure you know how that is." At Soujun's side, the little brat started tugging at his father's clothes and whining quietly, "Can we _go_ now?"

"In just a moment," said Soujun, beaming down at the small boy. "Father is talking to his friend right now."

Marenoshin almost snorted. Friend? Since when? "Yeah, I hear you. Don't get to see mine much." He sighed. When the hell was this guy gonna a clue?

Soujun must have interpreted this as sadness, as reached out a hand and actually _touched_ Marenoshin's shoulder. "It's a hard life, I know. I'm always wondering if, you know, this is going to be the last time I see them."

Marenoshin instinctively recoiled from the touch and it was at that moment that something happened.

\---

From behind a silver serving platter, our villain was watching Oomaeda chatting it up with Vice Captain Kuchiki. Another one that he never did care for. Always too touchy-feeling, kind of made him feel queasier than the smell of burnt fat. 

He had curled in his hand a small blow dart - crude but effective, as the cliche goes. The dart was tipped with a highly effective poision, derived from a rare flower that grow deepest reaches of the forest. It had taken months to procure one.

He had psyched himself up that today was going to be the day. He had been coming up with excuses of why not, so afraid of failure, so afraid that the image of seeing of Oomaeda's corpse would not be his. Swallow it, he had told himself. Swallow your fear, get a backbone, and just do it. So now was the time. Hidden slightly behind an overgrown fern, he had a perfect shot. Oomaeda was even distracted right now. Thank you very much, Kuchiki Soujun.

He could feel the nervousness eating away at his chest as he raised the blow dart to his lips. He had practiced this moment for weeks, sinking dart after dart into the bullseye, building up his confidence, building up his confidence that he'd finally see that son-of-a-bitch in a casket.

He aimed and blew.

\---

Something whizzed past Marenoshin's ear at a very high velocity. He had been in enough battles in the past to know when he was being attacked and thus acted according, getting into the best fighting stance that could be allowed against an unseen enemy.

He could feel himself beginning to sweat. Had he not moved his body an inch to the left, he would be standing there, with whatever it was poking right out of his throat. And the only reason he'd even moved in the first place was...well, it was because of that bastard standing there, who was currently trying to use his body as a shield for his squirming brat. He knew that the only reason he was still standing and drawing ragged breaths through his oversized lips was that guy. He owed him his life, completely, even if Soujun himself didn't know it. Goddamn it.

"Can we go _now_?" whined Byakuya, his voice muffled by his father's robes.

\---

The perp had almost gotten away, had it not been for a very fast acting waitress and a karate chop across the throat. Marenoshin snorted down at the stranger struggling in the arms of two of the 2nd division's burliest seated officers.

"I don't know how you are or what you want with me, but you picked the wrong guy, buddy."

The man spat - actually spat, right at him, the nerve! "Figures. You don't even remember me. You never did you, you piece of - "

Marenoshin shrugged. "Sorry, I don't make it a point to remember filthy vermin. Let's get him the hell out of here," he said, jerking his head towards the door. The officers grunted affirmations and did as they were told, Shunpo'ing their former comrade to the their headquarters.

Soujun looked visibly shaken by the turn of events. He still had that kid of his held closely to him, in case more men were waiting in the corners, ready to strike at a moment's notice. "I guess this sort of thing is only natural in our line of work but my God..." He shook his head. "And we had just been talking about that, hadn't we, the fraility to life."

Marenoshin wanted to slug him right then and there but he couldn't. He generally shrugged off these kinds of things off - he'd had his skin saved plenty of times by other people but this time felt different somehow. He couldn't explain it. He felt like he _owed_ him something. What a crock of shit. Soujun probably didn't even notice it himself, idiot. Not that Marenoshin was going to volunteer any information. Coincidence, that's probably all it was. Even if that niggling feeling in the back of his mind told a different story.

"Guess we should get back," he grunted. "You know, paperwork and all."

"Oh, yes, yes," said Soujun, apparently lost in his own world. "What a day." He pulled Byakuya out at arm's length, apparently confident now that he wasn't going to be ambushed. "Come, son, let's head back. I'm sure you've had enough adventure for a day."

"Can we get some chocolate on the way? I'm _staaaarving_ ," the brat whined, tugging on his father's robes.

"We'll see," Soujun said, smiling. "I'll see you, Vice Captain Oomaeda."

"Yeah, likewise." Marenoshin cleared his throat. "And, uh, thanks."

Soujun looked up from Byakuya, who was started to flail and seemed on the verge of a tantrum. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Nah, nothing."


End file.
